The Story of a Girl Reborn
by A Thousand Soaring Leaves
Summary: ON HIATUS TO BE RE-WRITTEN!
1. Prologue: When Trees Are Something More

Prologue: When Trees Are Something More

Trees. There were a lot of trees.

The girl looked around, vaguely puzzled and a little disoriented. She barely remembered being in a car, driving. Then there had been screaming, tumbling, and darkness. She looked around at the field, seeing how the colors were so much brighter and more vivid than she could ever remember them being.

She had a very good memory so she would know.

She looked around at all the different trees. They were different sizes, different species, different colored leaves. Some were so tall she imagined that even a mountain would cower before them. Others were so wide that a house inside of them wouldn't be too shocking.

They were beautiful.

She took a step forward and looked down at her clothes. She was barefoot and wearing a white dress. It clung to her loosely, fluttering in the occasional small gusts of wind that whipped her hair around. She had never owned a dress like this one.

Shrugging off a feeling of unease, she ventured farther out into the field, leaving the safety of the great oak that had towered over her. It interested her that the grass beneath the trees was different from the grass beneath the sky. Beneath the trees it was longer with flowers growing in it. Underneath the sky, it was shorter, brighter, softer. She stepped out onto the grass and looked around more, seeing that the grass seemed to grow in straight edges and sharp angles around the trees, like someone had cut it that way.

She wondered why that was.

Suddenly, a large gust of wind flew past her, whipping her hair and dress around. She could hear voices in the wind.

_"I'm will be an astronaut!"_

_"I'll be a doctor!"_

_"I'm gonna be an adventurer!"_

_"I'll sail all the seas in the world!"_

_"I'll discover a new animal!"_

It went on and on until the wind died down. The girl was left with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Something very strange was going on and she somehow believe that she wasn't in her own world anymore.

"Where am I?" she asked. "Why am I here?"

"Child, do you not know what has happened?"

She turned to see an older woman. She had kind grey eyes and long, black hair with streaks of grey. She wore a plain white dress with a brown apron tied around her waist and she held a basked against her hip. To the brim, it was filled with seeds.

"No, I don't," the girl said. "Where am I?"

"You are in the place where all worlds meet. It is a place of paths and choices. Now you simply must choose which path you will take."

The girl frowned. "What do you mean? How can there be more than one world?"

The woman smiled indulgently. "Children often create their own worlds to play in," she said. "the thought of that world is a seed and as they create the world and its inhabitants, that seed will grow into a mighty tree. Of course, it isn't always children. I've seen many adults create them in the books you read. Those are usually the worlds that become a mighty tree that will always last."

She looked around at all the trees and smiled wistfully. "Once, I was a simple maiden in a world. But then I died of a sickness. The Gods asked me to be a guide of sorts, explaining this place to those who come here. More often than not, people choose to move on to the next plane. I believe you would call it heaven."

The girl frowned, deeply unsettled. "Heaven is real? _This_ is all real?" she asked, gesturing to the trees, the grass, the sky and the woman herself. "I haven't gone crazy?"

"Of course not child. You are merely at a cross roads. Your life in your own world has ended. Now you are left with a choice. You have a choice to be reborn in a world of your choosing, or you can move on to the world you know as heaven. There you will live peacefully with the others before you who chose to go there. It is a choice that most make."

"How do I know what world I'm going into if I choose one?"

The woman sighed and looked around at all the trees. "These trees hold memories of the worlds they are my dear. Touch their bark and you will see the world that tree holds."

The girl considered this. "You said that authors create worlds. If I enter one of those worlds, do I go into the time of the book? Can I change things if I do?"

The woman studied the girl carefully. "You are different from the others. Most would choose to go on, not wishing to be reborn. You however, seem to want to live life again. Why is that?"

The girl was silent, thinking everything over. There was really only one world that she wished to enter and that was with the hope that she could change things. It was a terrifying thought but that world called out to her. It had always been so _real_ to her. And having the oppurtunity to live in it, to experience that? It was so terrifying but so, so tempting.

"There's a world that I read about," she said finally. "A world that has so much suffering and war. It's a world that I want to change. The future of that world seems so harsh. If I could keep some things from happening, wouldn't that be better?"

"You are indeed very different from the others," the woman said, smiling. "Perhaps you will change things. And yes, if you choose to enter the world of a book you would enter the time at which the book started. You would be a new soul that could influence things in many ways so that the world may not turn out the way you read it. Does that answer your question?"

The girl smiled. "Yes. Can you direct me to the Naruto world?"

"Follow me."

The woman wove her way through the field as if it were a part of her. She knew every tree, every blade of grass, every breeze. It intrigued the girl.

"How long have you been here?"

The woman's step faltered for a moment. "Many eons have passed since I became the tender of this garden. In time, I will choose to move on. But I must find the next gardener before then."

"How do you choose?"

"You must have a love of life and a will to be a part of each world. You must be able to tend to the trees as if they were your own children. Listen to their stories, hear the wind, and be a part of them. Everything has a story to tell if you are willing to listen you know."

"Listen, love life, and be willing?"

"That is the basics, yes."

"Can you travel into the worlds?"

The woman smiled. It was a smile of someone who has seen more than she wishes, and knows more than she wants to. It was a very sad smile.

"Yes. You would be to the people a god. You would not age and you could not be harmed. Time would pass differently there. I, myself, have traveled into many of the worlds. I have had many lives, loved many times, and bore only three children. They all wait for me in the next plane."

"That seems kind of sad," the girl said softly. "Falling in love when you can't properly be with that person."

"It is sad. But each time it was the same person. He chose reincarnation many times over, claiming that it was always for me. Now, he and our children wait for my time as the tender of this garden to come to an end."

The girl smiled. "Does that mean you were soul mates?"

The woman smiled widely, a light blush lighting her cheeks. "Yes. We will always find each other, no matter time, distance, life or death. As it should be, we will always be together."

The woman stopped before a great oak tree. It towered above them, its many branches twisted and warped in places. You could see where it had faced hardships and troubles. The girl wondered if those were signs that the world had faced many troubles.

"This is the world you know as the manga Naruto," the woman said. "Simply step forward and touch the bark, wish to be a part of that world, and you will be reborn within it."

The girl stepped forward, placing her hand on the bark. She glanced back at the woman. "Before I go…what is your name?"

"My name is Hidiya. In your previous world, it is an African name meaning sacrifice."

The girl nodded and smiled at Hidiya. "Thank you Hidiya-san."

"Go forth now, child. You have a new world that awaits you."

The girl turned towards the tree, feeling the rough bark beneath her fingertips. She closed her eyes for a moment and _listened_.

_My world is a world with a great cycle of hatred and wars. Shall I tell you the tale or do you wish to see it for yourself?_

The voice was ancient and wise. It spoke as if it had felt pain like none she had ever faced and lived to tell the tale.

"Perhaps when I return once again, I will become the tender of this garden," she murmured. "Then I could listen to all of your stories. But for now, I wish to be a part of your world."

_Very well. I wish you luck young one._

Light danced around her, wind whipped against her, and suddenly, the girl was gone.

Hidiya smiled at the spot where she had disappeared. "And so it begins. I will look forward to seeing how she changes your world Wise Oak of Many Words."

_As will I, Hidiya-sama. As will I._

* * *

_AN: _Okay, so I decided to do a reincarnation, girl from our world into the Naruto world story. I've read a couple of them and they are always really awesome! I'm hoping I can at least make a good story out of the basis of being reincarnated into that world.

Please let me know if you have any questions or anything so I can try to answer them.

Til the next chapter!


	2. When You Are Reborn

When You Are Reborn

I was surrounded by darkness.

It was stifling. There was a constant beat, like a drum, and it occasionally sped up. I couldn't feel anything or see anything but I could hear that sound. It was constant.

_Bu-bump. Bu-bump. Bu-bump._

I would never admit it to anyone, but I was afraid of the dark. It was like not being able to see. Enemies could sneak up on you from behind, monsters hid in the dark. I hated it.

And with this never ending darkness, my fear was growing.

I missed my mom. She'd always been able to push away my fears, to make me feel safe. Half-japanese, she'd had long dark hair that she always tied in a braid and slung over her right shoulder. Her eyes had been almond shaped and when she'd smiled they'd crinkled and danced with light and laughter. She'd smelled of freshly turned earth and a morning after rain. Her hands had been long and callused from work in the garden. I can't remember the amount of times she'd grab my hands with her own and twirl me around on the spur of the moment.

Mom had always been able to get rid of my fear. When my eidetic memory began to seem more of a curse than a gift, she had been the one to alleviate my fears. Her voice had sung me to sleep many a night, and her stories had given me dreams of adventure.

I suppose I could blame her for my love of manga. She had been the one to introduce me, although it had been the English version. She had taught me Japanese and I spoke it fluently and could write it, but living in America, the English versions had been the easiest to get. I'd been hooked on Naruto and One Piece immediately.

"Push—coming—I can see—so close—"

Hearing voices speaking Japanese startled me out of my reverie. I began panicking as a tugging sensation followed. And then, suddenly, there was bright, startling light.

That, however, wasn't what scared me. What caused me to start wailing in terror and fear, was the feeling in the air. It was like a cloak of hatred had been settled around us. It wrapped around me, causing my mind to blank. It pressed in on me and I found it harder to breath. I struggled violently, knowing I was forgetting something (Oh the irony!), something that was important.

"She's beautiful Suzushima-san. What will you name her?"

"Leiko…I shall name her Leiko."

I was wrapped up tightly and placed in someone's arms. A feeling of safety and security overcame me, lessening the pressure of the hatred. My cries quieted and I began to take in my surroundings, figuring out several things all at once.

I was a baby. (Oh great, I get to go through puberty _again._)

There was a strange feeling inside of me, like I had an extra set of veins. I was hyper aware of it and felt it all around me. It was in the air, in the people in the room, _everywhere_. It was that intense hatred and anger that I felt.

I had been reborn. (As if I didn't have enough problems.)

I was most certainly not in my own world anymore. (The Great Unknown…)

I tried to think about it logically but the warmth provided from this woman (I guess she's my mother now… wow.) was incredibly comforting. My little newborn body was ready for sleep so I closed my eyes and sank into blissful oblivion.

It didn't take me long to figure out what world I was in. I'd been home for a week when Tou-san came home, speaking of rebuilding and a memorial for the Kyuubi attack. He also wore a hitai-ate on his forhead with the leaf symbol.

Laying in my crib with nothing to do, I let my mind wander over what I had read in the Naruto series. Naruto had the Kyuubi sealed within him. He was put on a team with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. There sensei was Hatake Kakashi, a jounin who had a sharingan. (That thing was pretty badass if you ask me. I still wonder what he looks like without the mask…) Their first C-rank mission was to the Land of Waves and it ended up being a B-rank if not A-rank.

I was jolted from my thoughts when Kaa-san decided it was time for a diaper change. I was briefly mortified, especially since I would _never _be able to forget this. (Curse you eidetic memory, curse you!) Oh dear Kami, why couldn't I die like a normal person? Why did I have to be reborn with my own memories? Was it the eidetic memory? Is that why?

And come to think of it…was every book I'd ever read, ever manga…was it a glimpse of another world? Would everyone who died be reborn into another world? Or was I just unlucky, getting reborn into one of my favorite series? (Cue the fan-girl squeal…not.)

"Well Lei-chan, you certainly are growing quickly," Kaa-san said, smiling. "You'll be a healthy child."

I smiled and a babyish giggle escaped. (Oh Kami, why me?) It would be awhile before my body was developed enough to do the things I wished it to do. Even if I wanted it to do these things now, I had no choice but to suck it up and live out life as a baby.

Seeing as I could hardly do anything, I listened and I watched. I learned that I had white hair and red eyes, inherited from my great-grandfather and my great-aunt. They were both deceased and they had both been civilians. In fact, my parents were first generation ninjas in their families. My grandparents on Kaa-san's side owned a book store…and they sold those cursed Icha Icha books. (What is the content of those anyways? Do they have a plot or are they just…porn?) It seemed my grandfather was a pervert.

My Tou-san's parents worked as a blacksmith, creating essential ninja weapons like kunai, shuriken, swords, senborn, etc. (Maybe he is secretly a ninja…) They weren't perverts…as far as I was aware anyways. (I had my suspicions but as a baby, I couldn't obtain proof.)

When I was a month old, I met my godparents. They were very familiar and I was very tempted to start screaming. I hadn't yet decided if I wanted to be involved in ninja life or not. Did I want to mess with the future? Was I _willing_ to take the risk? I could screw everything up and get everyone killed for Kami's sake!

It seemed the gods were against me, however, because my godparents were Hatake Kakashi and Mitarashi Anko. A lazy pervert and a scary women. If I was stuck with them, I would fear greatly for my sanity, if not my life. (Kami must really hate me.)

They stayed for about an hour, talking with my parents and holding me. Kakashi seemed rather wary and his chakra, that strange substance in my veins and in the air, spoke of hesitance and fear. I think he was afraid of me. I found this thought too cute and ended up giggling every time he was holding me. (Oh come on, the Kakashi being afraid of a baby girl? That's hilarious!)

Anko however, would scoop me up and start cooing to me like I was a baby. Which I was but still. It was annoying. She's supposed to be a badass chic and she's cooing over me like a lovesick loon. It creeped me out and my baby body reacted accordingly. I wailed.

Kaa-san would come and sweep me back up, giving me back to Kakashi much to his horror, and causing me to start giggling again. (I couldn't help it; his reaction was just too funny!)

After I met them the first time, they started coming over whenever they had a chance. Kakashi slowly got over his fear and Anko dropped the baby talk. They began to fuss over my accomplishments as much as Kaa-san and Tou-san.

When I was four months old, I learned to crawl. That was also when I started on my chakra control. They were all so proud of me. It was like I'd promoted world peace!

Once I was laid down to sleep, I began working on my chakra control. I could sense them all in the other room, talking quietly. I channeled chakra into my hands, watching in fascination as they began to glow. It was an amazing feeling really, the warmth and tingles that came with it. Every movement and fluctuation of my chakra I could feel. It was odd but strangely normal to me. I'd gotten used to feeling the chakra around me everywhere and I'd begun to associate people's chakra with different objects according to how they felt to me.

Tou-san was a steady boulder on a mountain, sitting in the sun. It was calm, warm, and steady. Tou-san was calm, kind, and loyal. He stuck by his decisions but he wasn't afraid to admit he was wrong.

Kaa-san was a sunflower, bright and cheerful. Everywhere she went, she brought a lightness with her as if she carried the sun around. Her smiles were warm and her eyes always danced with happiness. She reminded me of my other mom.

Kakashi-nii-san, as I had dubbed him, felt like a wolf with lightning in his paws. I could never think of why, that was just the image that came to mind with the feeling of his chakra. Perhaps it had something to do with his Chidori and the ninja dogs he summoned.

Anko-nee-san was a tigress. She was aggressive, protective, and incredibly strong. At times she was a little on the scary and sadistic side, seeming a little crazy, but her chakra always reminded me of a tigress.

My own chakra felt like a snow leopard. I couldn't quite explain why. Much like Kakashi's, my chakra just felt that way without any real reason. A snow leopard was the image that formed when I felt my chakra.

When I was six months old, I learned to walk. It was then that Kaa-san decided I should learn to read. She bought several children's books but they held no interest for me. I would toddle my way over to the only shelf upstairs and try to pull out one of the books on history or medicine. I heard them toss around the word genius many times. Kaa-san wanted to put me into the academy early. Tou-san wanted to wait and see what I could become. I was thankful for that.

Once I had worked my way through that shelf, I began reading through the books and scrolls downstairs. My eidetic memory was a blessing then, more so than it had ever been. I stored away the information, able to recall it at will. In my mind, it was categorized. If I had to visualize it, I would say it was a library with several computers and hundreds of bookshelves. There was no irrelevant place because there were special places that required certain information, certain passwords. If anyone was to ever enter my mind they would find it incredibly difficult to find the information they were looking for. (At least, that's what I hoped.)

I developed an interest in seals. They were like puzzles, each piece fitting together a certain way. Except with seals, each piece could be used a different way. Change the pieces around and the seal would work differently. Switch some pieces out and you would have an entirely different seal.

And with seals, words were power.

Every seal master developed their own special quirk. Their seals would never be completely similar to another person's seal. In some of the basics, yes perhaps then. But in the more complicated seals they had their own personal preferences. They also created their own special ink. However, while ink was essentially a good medium for seals, blood was the best. It channeled chakra easier than the ink ever would, creating more efficient seals.

There was also the fact that chakra played such a big part in seals. If you could draw them efficiently and had them memorized, you could learn to apply them simply with a drop of blood and your chakra, in the same way that you technically summoned summon animals.

Tou-san was a level bellow master in seals. He said that he wasn't anywhere as good as the Yondaime Hokage. I wasn't convinced but he insisted that he wasn't as good. Who knows, perhaps he was right.

At around two and a half years old, after I had begun talking (which was difficult due to vocal cords that weren't fully developed), I began my physical training. I had read through all the books they had in the house and decided to get an early start. In the morning Kaa-san would take me out back and we would do stretches for fifteen minutes. Then I would jog around the yard for ten to fifteen minutes, eat breakfast and take an hour break, and run for another ten to fifteen minutes. Every week we increased the time I ran by a minute or two. My muscles got stronger without being chakra enhanced, which meant I would be faster.

When I turned three, they had a birthday party. Kaa-san forced me into a frilly white dress with a pink bow, squealing about how cute I was. (Frilly plus pink equals a very unhappy me!) Then everyone began to arrive.

Kaa-san and Tou-san had invited all their close friends, but also their other friends who had children my age. Not everyone showed up thankfully. Yoshino and Shikaku Nara showed up with a little Shikamaru in tow. They were very good friends with my parents.

Shikamaru was very small but I could see that spark of intelligence in his dark eyes. I knew he was very aware of what was going on around him, he just wasn't up to acknowledging it. (It would be too troublesome.) His chakra was like a black cat laying in the shade of a large oak. It was lazy with an undercurrent of intelligence and willfulness that was surprising.

After Shikamaru, I got to meet Kiba. He was loud even at this age and he was sat down at my other side, told to behave, and suddenly I was left with two boys who didn't really know me and didn't seem to excited to be here. It probably didn't help that I was already in a foul mood thanks to the frilly dress and pink bow.

I decided that I'd had enough of socializing (if you could call it that) and I slipped off the couch and sought out Kakashi's chakra. I was sure that if he could make one shadow clone, he could make two, and then hopefully I could get out of here, out of the dress, and do some training. Convincing him to do that however, would probably be difficult.

"Kakashi-nii-san!"

He looked up from his book and eye-smiled at me. "Leiko-chan. Happy birthday."

I crossed my arms and pouted. "It is not. I don't like my dress! I want to train!"

He sighed and put the book away. Quickly he made two clones and one transformed into me. He shunshined us to my room and I quickly grabbed some clothes and ducked into the bathroom, changing into a white top and a pair of black shorts. I was ready to train.

Kakashi took me to the training grounds and put me through my paces. I ran around the grounds fifty times, smiling when I felt the strain on my muscles. They were definitely getting stronger although I needed to be careful. I was only three and straining them too much would likely damage them.

That day Kakashi gave me my first weapon, a small staff that was about a foot taller than me. He taught me some basic guard positions and attack positions before letting me practice them. We worked on that for an hour before deciding to go home. I was proud of my accomplishments and incredibly happy that I'd escaped the dreaded birthday party.

(Hey, I've already had fifteen of them. I don't need more.)

"Thank you nii-san," I said happily.

Kakashi smiled and ruffled my hair. "You are welcome Imouto."

He vanished in a swirl of leaves. I rolled my eyes at the dramatic effect before sneaking inside. I crept up to my room and slipped in while Kakashi's clone dispelled. I collapsed on my bed with a heavy sigh.

I definitely hate birthdays.

As I grew and the days passed, I began learning to write. It would have been easy if it wasn't for the fact that my hands had yet to be coordinated enough. I worked on it daily, practicing seals or codes. Both of them were like puzzles and I enjoyed them.

When I'd finally got writing down, at nearly four years old, Tou-san taught me shogi. It was a bit like chess and the strategic mind that you needed for the game helped me organize my own mind better. Now when I visualized it, the library room was more complicated but the shelves had a specific order and a specific purpose. There were several mental traps that I'd created around both irrelevant and extremely relevant information. To me, my mind was a maze of shelves, traps, and hidden passageways with back door entrances to other rooms. It might seem strange but it helped me with all the information, the sights, sounds, smells, textures…it helped me organize everything.

I found that while shogi was difficult against a good opponent like Tou-san, it really did help you understand battle strategies and tactics. Often I would play against Kaa-san who had a tendency to be spontaneous in her movements. Playing against her kept me on my toes because she was very good at spotting my strategy at the best moment and simply maneuvering around it. She also had the uncanny ability to make a strategy on the fly and change it at random points because it wasn't working. Playing against Kaa-san allowed me to find ways to battle against an unpredictable opponent.

I really enjoyed watching Tou-san play against Kaa-san. Their games could last for hours and they'd banter back and forth, each of them hardly ever gaining any ground against the other. It was always difficult to predict who would win in their games because sometimes Tou-san would win and other times Kaa-san would come out victorious.

Eventually I started playing against Shikaku. It was very difficult to play against him and I lost every time but he had a way of explaining things that made it much easier for me to transfer the game strategy to a real life situation. And then of course, he started Shikamaru in on the game and well, if we both played against Shikaku we could win. If I played against Shika myself, I lost.

It was always entertaining and I took to carrying around a shogi board with me, just in case someone asked for a match.

While all that was going one, Tou-san began to educate me in seals. He explained it differently than the books did, comparing seals to living beings and genetics. It was at the same time confusing but easier to visualize and understand.

Kakashi came by often when he wasn't on missions and he would train me with my staff and occasionally we would spar. I never let them know that I could control my chakra extremely well. I especially didn't Kakashi know that whenever he did an academy jutsu, I memorized the hand-signs and practiced it later, when I was alone. Using that method, I learned the clone, transformation, and replacement jutsu before I'd even started at the academy.

And that was how the first years of my life went all the way to age six.

That was when we started at the Academy.

* * *

AN: So, the first official chapter. No she doesn't remember Hidiya. Not yet anyways. That will take her some time to remember because the process of entering a world pushes the memories of the Garden back. But becuase she has an eidetic memory, she will remember eventually.

Anyways, if you have questions, review or pm me! I'll try to answer them. And updates might be erratic. I've got another story to work on and I will be switching back and forth, updating when I can.

See you next time!

**Leiko: I FORGOT?!**

**Me: Oh, hi Leiko. Yes you forgot. It's possible. You can't remember every single thing every single second. There will be times when you have so much to think about that you don't think of something you should be thinking of at that moment.**

**Leiko: Only because you're the author! What the hell!**

**Me: You'll live. I don't need you to be a Mary-sue and I might be pushing it with the memory thing. I don't know but I'm hoping the readers will warn me if I am.**

**Leiko: *twithing* I better not be a mary-sue...*shudders***

**Me: Hey, sometimes its fun to read a story like that...or it used to be. Now it just annoys me. So if Leiko is mary-sue-ish let me know so I can fix her!**

**Leiko: I'll do the disclaimer. A Thousand Soaring Leaves does not in anyway own Naruto. She owns me (unfortunately) and my new mom and dad. See ya next time!**

**Me: Yep, you heard her, I don't own the manga or anime Naruto. And I go by the manga! So no movies, filler episodes (unless my own creation) or anything from the show. SEE YA!**


	3. When Training Commences

When Parents See Past The Fox

Nothing very exciting happened on our first day. We were assigned to our class, went over the rules, had lunch, checked our supplies and went home. I suspected that it would be awhile before we started learning jutsu.

The second day we settled down to learn. The teacher would talk, we'd listen and that's how it went until we had taijutsu practice. (All that consisted of was exercise. Running, push-ups, etc.) I kept a reasonable pace while running but still managed to come out on top. Iruka congratulated me and I caught a few envious looks from boys and girls alike. (Hey! It wasn't my fault I'd started training really young!)

It wasn't until we'd been in the academy for two months that we began learning proper taijutsu. I'd learned most of it from Kakashi but I went along with it. I refused to be labeled a genius. Around a month after we'd begun learning taijutsu, we began sparing. Iruka was going to pair me up with a girl until all the boys protested loudly, saying they wanted to fight me. (I distinctly heard Shikamaru call me a "Troublesome girl.")

I had tried to hold back but everyone was very well aware that I was stronger than them. I had more stamina and I did everything with an ease that came from practice. The boys didn't like that I was stronger than them and no amount of holding back helped. I would beat another girl easily.

Iruka, I'd noticed, was not yet overly fond of Naruto. Whenever Naruto was near his chakra was cold and unwelcoming but slowly it was starting to warm. It would take time but soon Iruka would see Naruto as Naruto and not as the nine-tailed fox.

Of course he just had to pair me up with Naruto. (Why, Kami, why?)

I stood opposite the blonde boy and slipped into the taijutsu stance Kakashi had taught me. I noticed that Naruto's stance was sloppy and silently berated those who had failed to teach him. He had more openings that was safe and if I attacked, killing him would be simple. I contained a frown, dropping my stance and approaching him.

"Your stance has too many openings Sunshine," I said. "In a real fight, that stance would get you killed. Now, keep your arm like this, your legs should be balanced like this…and there we go."

I stepped back and looked him over. It was as good as it was going to get for now. I returned to my place and resumed my stance. Iruka, looking rather surprised and feeling befuddled, told us to start. Naruto rushed forward with a cry and swung his fist sloppily. I stepped aside and stuck my leg out, tripping him. I placed my foot lightly on his back.

"Leiko wins," Iruka announced.

I stepped back and held my hand out. Naruto sat up, glaring at me.

"Don't be a sore loser Sunshine," I mumbled. "You should learn from this and improve."

Surprise flickered in his eyes and chakra. He took my hand hesitantly and allowed me to help him up. "Come to training ground three sometime and I'll help you out," I offered.

"Really?!"

I smirked. "Someone has to. It you don't learn proper taijutsu you'll get yourself killed Sunshine."

That was how our training sessions began. Every day we'd meet up at training ground three and I'd try to teach him how to improve his taijutsu. It was difficult because rushing into battle seemed to be ingrained in his DNA. He didn't stop to think about anything, just rushed in. I tried to tell him that if he didn't think sometimes and kept doing the same thing he'd get himself killed but he wouldn't listen. Since telling him things didn't seem to make an impression in his brain, I decided to just keep beating him the same way.

It took a few days but he figured it out and began changing up his strategy. From there, it was easier to impress a lesson in his brain.

That was pretty much how the routine went for a year or so. I'd train with Naruto most of the time, helping him improve. We'd go to the academy, be partnered up to spar, and slowly the times I won became a little more infrequent. He still wasn't the best at taijutsu and I doubted that he ever would be but he'd improved. (Except when provoked…)

The first difference in our little schedule came when Kaa-san decided to stop by for a surprise visit. About two months ago when she'd learned that I was helping out a boy, she'd had her small 'oh my Kami, my baby's growing up so fast!' moment and proceeded to pester me for any and all details, disregarding that fact that I was _seven_. (I understand Shikamaru's opinion that women are troublesome now. I really do.)

I'd been focused on helping Naruto, not really paying attention to our surroundings. (Stupidity! Sheer stupidity!) I didn't notice her chakra signature until she squealed.

"Oh Leiko, sweetheart, it's so _cute_!"

Naruto and I both froze as if paralyzed. I stepped back away from him and turned towards her, seeing that familiar twinkle and mischievous grin. (For Kami's sake, I'm _seven _woman! Slow down!) Then her eyes landed on Naruto and the gleam faded, her eyes widened, and her chakra screamed shock. I moved a little so I was standing in front of Naruto, focusing on her chakra to process any and all emotions.

Shock, confusion, wonder…and pride?

The smile came back full force and I was staggered when she came around and knelt so she was face to face with Naruto.

"So you're the little rascal who's been taking up my daughter's time," she said, smiling. "What's your name?"

"N-naruto," he said. I could sense his fear, could see it in his eyes. I stood beside him and squeezed his hand, ignoring the way Kaa-san's grin widened. (I was _never_ going to hear the end of this.)

"Well, Naruto, how would you like to have dinner with us? I'm sure Kenta, Leiko's father, wouldn't mind."

I could feel a rare grin spreading across my cheeks. I started bouncing, letting out my inner seven-year old. "Oh you have to come! Kaa-san makes the best food and it'll be so much fun! And I can get Tou-san to help me teach you!"

It was extremely rare for me to show so much emotion. Naruto looked at me with wide eyes before a similar grin appeared. "Okay!"

Kaa-san stood, smiling. She took my hand and held the other out for Naruto. He took it hesitantly and when she smiled at him, happiness radiated from him like sunshine. I felt my heart swell with joy. I'd never asked them what they thought of Naruto, never even considered bringing it up. It would seem that they had no problems with him.

That, more than anything, brought my emotions to the front. I'd always worried that they would be like all the other villagers if I asked about him or told them that he was the one I was helping. To know that they wouldn't treat him like trash was a blessing.

"So Naruto, what do you like to eat?"

"Ramen!" he said happily. "Ramen is the best food ever!"

"Sunshine, ramen isn't that healthy," I said, amused. "How much of that stuff do you eat?"

His eyes dimmed for a mere second and the happiness became shadowed by sadness. "It's all I can afford," he said honestly.

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to eat with us from now on won't you?" Kaa-san said. "We can't have you eating unhealthy food if you plan to be a ninja!"

The villagers stared as we walked past, breaking out in whispers. Kaa-san held her head high, never backing down. She noticed the way Naruto walked a bit closer to her and squeezed his hand lightly, smiling when he relaxed. She caught my gaze and winked. I smirked.

Oh how I do love her dearly.

Tou-san was waiting outside as we approached. He didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Naruto. He smiled at us all, and when his gaze rested on me, I felt his pride just as I had with Kaa-san. He was proud that I'd chosen to befriend Naruto. I was proud that my parents weren't biased bigots too stupid to see that he wasn't the nine-tails.

"Hello dear," Kaa-san said. "This is Leiko's _friend_, Naruto."

(The emphasis on the word friend spoke volumes. I was definitely _never_ going to hear the end of this.)

"Well Naruto, it's a pleasure to meet you," Tou-san said, smiling. "I'm Suzushima Kenta, Leiko's father."

"It's nice to meet you Suzushima-sama," Naruto mumbled, obviously extremely nervous.

Tou-san smirked. "Just call me Kenta-san. Suzushima-sama makes me feel old."

"But Tou-san," I protested. "You _are_ old."

He smirked and ruffled my hair, much to my annoyance. "Ah, but Leiko-chan, you'll be old someday too."

"Not for a very long time," I said. "I plan on living a long life just like Hokage-sama!"

"Just like Hokage-sama, eh? You got a long ways to go then sweetheart," he said. "And I hope you do live that long."

I smiled albeit a little shakily. I knew that the life of a ninja was dangerous and living to be as old as the Hokage would definitely be difficult. And if I really planned on changing things, chances were I wouldn't live that long.

I could die at any time but I if I did, I planned on taking an Akatsuki member or two with me. That was the only way I was going down. (Either them or that bastard Danzo. I'd be perfectly happy with him too.)

"She has to!" Naruto said determinedly. "I can't be Hokage without Leiko!"

Well, there are some words to give you a heart attack. I whipped my head around towards him, eyes wide. "What do you mean you need me Naruto? You can't just give up if I die!"

"I can too! I won't be Hokage if you aren't there too!"

"You baka! Why not?"

"Because—"

He stopped abruptly, his brow wrinkling as he thought. I gave him a curious look, feeling his confusion. I shrugged it off and turned to Kaa-san. "What are we eating tonight Kaa-san?"

"Oh I don't know…I was thinking we should let Naruto choose. He is our guest after all."

"Ichiraku's then?" I suggested. "That place has ramen!"

Kaa-san glanced at Naruto, seeing that he was thinking about something really hard. She smiled wryly. "I suppose that'd be best then. Shall we?"

Naruto snapped out of his strange reverie half way to Ichiraku's. I told him where we were going and he cheered, seemingly back to normal. His mood was cheerful but it felt forced. He was still thinking about something but trying to focus more on what was happening in the present.

Kaa-san and Tou-san obligingly paid for all the food Naruto wanted to eat, waving off his objections. They said it was their pleasure to treat a friend of mine and I smiled gratefully at them when he wasn't looking. I knew that this meant a lot to him.

After we'd all eaten and I'd introduced myself to Ayame and Teuchi-san, we headed home. Kaa-san had already asked Naruto to stay the night, again waving off any objections he had. Tou-san had placed a hand on his shoulder and bent to whisper something in his ear. Naruto had quieted before saying a quiet 'thank you' and meaning it completely.

I'd forced him to sleep in my bed while I took the floor but he'd refused. So I'd finally told him we'd either both take the floor or share the bed. We'd made a bed of blankets on the floor and when Kaa-san and Tou-san came to say goodnight, they'd been amused. Kaa-san had kissed both our foreheads and Tou-san had ruffled our hair. They'd stood in the door way and I'd looked up at them, seeing the love in their eyes and feeling it and joy from their chakra.

Once they'd cracked the door (I am afraid of the dark people.) I turned towards Naruto. He yawned widely.

"Hey Leiko?"

"Yeah Sunshine?"

"I'm really glad Iruka-sensei paired us up that day."

I chuckled softly. "Yeah, me too Naruto."

"Goodnight Lei-chan."

"Goodnight Sunshine."

From that day on Naruto stayed over several times a week. Tou-san helped me with his training although in class Naruto still acted like the dead last. I'd explained the team systems to him and we'd decided to be on the same team. (I'm so sorry Sakura.) I knew that I had to be at the top of the class academically but the problem was taijutsu. I began losing a few more fights there so I wasn't on top, aiming to be on the same team as Naruto. It was our goal for now.

As the time for the massacre came closer, I began to lose my focus in taijutsu training. I'd constantly be thinking about how to stop it, if I should, the consequences if I revealed how much I knew. There were so many things to consider, and I didn't even know how to go about changing things. What would happen if I managed to frame someone else instead of Itachi, allowing him to stay in the village? What would happen if I confronted the Hokage?

And if Danzo caught wind that I knew about the massacre?

I'd be a dead girl walking.

* * *

**Me: Cue the dramatic music...how shall Leiko deal with the massacre? And will she get her memories back?**

**Leiko: Why haven't you given them back yet?!**

**Me: ^.^ I'm being evil. Besides, there are more things to come. You ****_are_**** going up against the gods, you know.**

**Leiko: I'm DOOMED.**

**Me: You're over dramatic. You'll be fine...I think...**

**Leiko: Oh great. **

**Me: Anyways, thanks to the following people for reviewing:**

**xSmittenKittenx**

**Amyethious**

**KafeiDetour**

**Chuu112**

**Leiko: People reviewed? **

**Me: Of course! So...I guess I'll see you in the next chapter! And thanks to all those who favorited and added it to your story alerts! I'm glad this story is doing good so far.**

**Leiko: See ya in the next chapter! Were I will hopefully get my memories back and find a way to stop the massacre!**

**Me: If Fate and Destiny allow it...**

Will Leiko get her memories back? Will she risk her life to save the Uchiha's? Will Danzo see her as a threat?

Find out next time! 


End file.
